Peter Pan Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome parents at the door. Children separate from their parents and confidently enter the provision. Staff know the children well and offer good assurances that help them feel safe. As a result, children settle quickly and form strong friendships with their peers.

Staff plan a broad and balanced curriculum that supports children's learning well. For instance, they promote children's communication and language development through singing, reading stories and small-group activities. Children access a wide range of books and share stories with adults. This helps to build children's vocabulary and promotes their listening and attention skills.

Children's personal, social and emotional needs are supported well. For instance, children have opportunities to practise mindfulness and to listen to music, which helps with self-regulation. Furthermore, staff are quick to identify when children are finding it difficult to regulate their emotions. They have created a calm space for children to use should they feel overwhelmed.

Leaders provide opportunities for children to get involved in local community events. For example, children and their families donate to their local food bank and bake biscuits to share at coffee mornings. As a result, children learn ways in which to contribute positively to society.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Children take part in engaging activities that stimulate their curiosity and interest. For example, staff set up a sensory tray, where children experiment with mathematical concepts. They test out their ideas as they add lemon slices to the containers to make them overflow with water. Additionally, children make predictions as they add teabags to the water. Staff skilfully introduce new vocabulary, such as 'infuse' and 'sour', that enhances learning further.
• Children's physical development is promoted well. Staff provide a variety of opportunities for children to strengthen their core muscles during climbing and balancing activities. For instance, children learn about rhythm and coordination while moving their bodies to music. All children, including those in receipt of funding and those in need of specific support, make good progress.
• Overall, staff ensure that children know the routines of the provision well. Children respond positively to staff's instructions to get ready for mealtimes and find their seats at the table. However, during key transition times, such as snack time, staff do not always provide children with enough direction to engage them fully. As a result, at times, children do not know what comes next in their routine, and this impacts on their focus and behaviour.
• Children develop useful skills for future learning. For example, staff competently develop children's concentration during group activities, such as story times. Children are eager to join in with parts of the story they know. Staff build on children's interest in books to extend their future learning. For example, children create their own play dough creatures after listening to a story about a caterpillar.
• Leaders and staff work together to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They monitor children's progress closely and plan specific activities to support their development. Furthermore, staff collaborate with parents and healthcare professionals to develop targeted and effective individual plans. This means that children benefit from a shared approach to their learning.
• Leaders monitor and support staff's well-being and training needs. They regularly observe staff's practice, act as role models and support staff to continually improve their professional development. However, leaders do not always monitor closely enough to make sure that all staff are consistent in supporting children's overall progress. Consequently, there are times when children are not fully challenged in their learning and development.
• Parents speak highly of the provision and say that children enjoy attending. Parents are kept informed about important information, such as who their child's key person is. Staff ensure that they get to know the children well, and they provide specific support when needed so that children continue to make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve daily routines and staff deployment more efficiently so that children do not become unsettled during these times
• enhance coaching, mentoring and support for staff to enable them to consistently support children in the next stage of their learning.